“Everything is Different in Korea”: Egyptian International Student Jana Walid's Culture Shock and Adaptation in Korea

Jana Walid came to Korea for her studies in her third year of middle school due to her father's sudden decision. Her father in Egypt had strong trust in the Korean education system thanks to his friendship with visiting professors from Konkuk University. Jana Walid recounted that her father had already told the Korean professors that he would educate his daughter in Korea before returning to Egypt and informing her of her study abroad.

At the time, Jana Walid had no information about Korea, but she had to prepare for her trip to Korea according to her father's firm decision. This became an unexpected major turning point in her life.

Due to her studies in Korea, Jana Walid had a one-year gap in her high school education in Egypt. The Egyptian education system does not have a leave of absence system, so if one does not attend school for a year, they are held back. Because of this, Jana Walid, who should have been promoted to the second year of high school in Egypt before coming to Korea, had to go back down to the first year of high school after studying abroad.

Her friends had already become second-year students, and Jana Walid had to start again one year behind her friends. However, her father encouraged her, advising her that this one year of experience would be a great asset for her future life.

Upon arriving in Korea, Jana Walid experienced several culture shocks. The first was the weather. The harsh Korean winter weather was a big shock to her, accustomed to Egypt's warm climate, and long padded jackets were unfamiliar. The second was food. In Egypt, there are no spicy foods, and breakfast is simple, like bread, but in Korea, breakfast is a hearty meal of rice, bulgogi, and kimchi, which her stomach had difficulty adapting to.

Additionally, her experience of being hospitalized after a car accident shortly after arriving in Korea presented another shock and difficulty. However, these challenges also served as an opportunity for her to adapt more deeply to Korean society and culture. Amidst various new experiences, she discovered new facets of Korea.

Amidst the difficulties she experienced in Korea, Jana Walid found great comfort in the warm hospitality of Koreans. When she was hospitalized after a car accident, she was able to overcome a difficult period thanks to the sincere help and consideration of those around her. She conveyed that she was deeply moved by how Koreans dislike seeing others suffer and genuinely empathize and try to help.

This experience instilled a positive perception of Korea in her and ultimately became a decisive factor in her strong desire to continue living in Korea. She revealed that she came to think of Korea as a 'truly charming country.'

In the past, kimchi was a 'nightmare' food for Jana Walid. However, through her life in Korea, she completely changed her perception of kimchi. Now, kimchi jjigae has become her favorite dish, and she confessed that she enjoys eating kimchi so much that she cannot eat a meal without it.

This change went beyond simple dietary habit changes. She revealed that as she became good at eating kimchi, she gained confidence to challenge herself with things she previously thought impossible. This is a symbolic change showing deep assimilation and adaptation to Korean culture.

Jana Walid stated that most Korean food is delicious, but eggs are difficult for her to consume. She cannot eat eggs due to an egg allergy or the smell, explaining that many Korean dishes contain eggs, so caution is needed when ordering at restaurants.

She added that she prefers tofu as a protein substitute. Since eggs constitute a significant portion of the Korean diet, it remains one of the difficult aspects for her, who cannot eat eggs.

Jana Walid mentioned the difference in time perception between Korea and Egypt. In Korea, being even 5 minutes late for an appointment creates an apologetic atmosphere, but in Egypt, due to a custom called 'Egyptian time,' it is common to be about 2 hours late for appointments, and no one finds this strange. Events and gatherings often start 2-3 hours later than scheduled.

Through her social life in Korea, she naturally adapted to the 'ppalli-ppalli' (hurry-hurry) culture. Now she tries to be punctual according to Korean time perception, which shows how deeply she has assimilated into Korean society.

Jana Walid expressed great satisfaction with Korea's public transportation system. She highly praised its excellence in providing real-time information and the accuracy of route guidance apps, making it easy for foreigners unfamiliar with the routes to use. She explained that Korean public transportation is not just a means of transport but a convenient system deeply integrated into daily life.

She also mentioned the absence of advanced public transportation app systems like Korea's in Egypt, emphasizing the superiority of Korean public transportation. This was cited as one of the major advantages she felt during her life in Korea.

In Egypt, the image of Korea varies by generation. The older generation highly prefers Korean electronic products like Samsung and LG due to their excellent quality and reliability. Jana Walid even stated that Korean products are so popular and hold the #1 market share that some Egyptians mistakenly believe they are domestically produced. The younger generation is increasing their interest in Korea through K-pop, K-dramas, and K-fashion, among other Korean cultural content.

Jana Walid revealed that she found several commonalities between Korean and Arab cultures. She particularly emphasized the strong similarity in family-centric values. She noted similar cultures of caring for family well, valuing meal etiquette, and families gathering for meals. She also cited a preference for modest movies and dramas with less exposure as a commonality between the two cultures.

Jana Walid explained that the 'Made in Korea' label holds absolute sway in the Egyptian market. She stressed that Korean cosmetics, in particular, sell 100% simply because they are 'Korean-made,' even if brand recognition is low or they don't suit an individual. She noted their popularity, even selling at high prices in pharmacies.

She analyzed that this reflects not only the strong trust Egyptians have in the quality of Korean products but also a significant psychological factor of wanting to be like Koreans.

Jana Walid conveyed that many Egyptians believe 'education' is behind Korea's transformation into a developed country in just 50 years. Korean education is known to be very high-quality worldwide, which is why many foreigners wish to study in Korea and graduate from Korean universities, she explained. A Korean university diploma holds great value in Egypt due to its scarcity.

However, she added that the Korean study abroad visa process is very strict, causing many people difficulties. As the desire to learn from Korea's rapid development model grows, the demand for studying and working in Korea continues to increase. This shows that Korea's education system is internationally recognized.

Jana Walid emphasized that as a Muslim, she has never experienced discrimination due to cultural differences during her life in Korea. She stated that Koreans' respect for other cultures is paramount and that they are very accepting of her religion and culture. She cited an experience at a company dinner where, upon learning she couldn't eat pork or drink alcohol, no one forced her, and they even changed the menu out of consideration.

She revealed that thanks to these efforts and understanding from Koreans, she was able to form deep bonds despite cultural differences. This can be seen as the secret to how Korean society embraces and harmonizes diverse cultures.

Jana Walid explained that wearing a hijab in Egypt is not legally or culturally mandatory. Contrary to a common misconception, whether to wear a hijab in Egypt is entirely a personal choice and tends to be determined by the local atmosphere, she stated.

She added that in open cities like Alexandria, the proportion of women wearing hijabs is much lower. This is important information that corrects external misunderstandings about Egyptian culture.

Jana Walid's older sister and younger sister already reside together in Korea. She also mentioned that her two younger brothers plan to come to Korea for study abroad as soon as they become adults. She is waiting for her younger brothers to come of age and expects that they will likely be sent to Korea once they are adults.

This indicates that Jana Walid's entire family has strong trust and affection for Korea. Her successful settlement in Korea seems to have influenced other family members.

Jana Walid revealed that she was greatly surprised to discover cultural connections between Korea and Egypt while preparing her graduation project. She particularly found commonalities in the traditional art of both countries, such as intricacy, meticulousness, and frequent depiction of nature. She also noted that the movements and flow of Korean dance and Egyptian traditional dance are very similar.

Based on these commonalities, she planned a unique graduation performance combining Hanbok and Egyptian traditional dance. She attempted an 'Egyptian-style Hanbok,' localized like Korea's Jjambbong, expressing the harmony of the two cultures. This shows that although Korean and Egyptian cultures appear different on the surface, they have unexpected similarities and connections when looked at deeply.